Air control valve for gear shifts



Feb. 22, 1938. P. MaCKENzlE AIR CONTROL VALVE FOR GEAR SHIFTS FiledApril 7, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

P/f/z. /p M4 c f5/vz /E I l|l|l III HII Illllll ATTORNEYS Feb. 22, 1938.P. MacKENzlE AIR CONTROL VALVE FOR GEAR SHIFTS Filed April '7, 1936 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIRcoNTRoL VALVE Fon GEAR smFTs Philip MacKenzie, Oakland, Calif.

Application April '1, 1936, serial No. 73,091

8 Claims.

air lines to effect the desired shifting of the.

gears. A particular object is to provide a remote control multiple airvalve for operation by the driver which will preserve the re'gularmotions required in ordinary automobile gear shifting, so as to therebygain this important measure of safety, especially in emergencies, as theoperations of shifting gears with the lever and H slot arrangement hasbecome a matter of habit which it is one of the objects of thisinvention to take advantage of, by supplying a remote control air valvewhich operates with precisely the same l suction impulses through aplurality of pipes motion as an ordinary gear shift lever.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Fig. l is a plan view of my remote gear control airvalve showing the con trol lever projecting out of an' H slot. f

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the ldevice of Fig. l as takenalong the line 2-2 thereof.

Fig. 3 is a. horizontal cross section of the device as seen from theline 3-3 of Fig. 2. Y

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation as taken from the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 justforward of the valve plate. Fig. 5 vis a view of the front or operativeface of the valve plate as seen from the line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to that of Fig. 2 but with the hand levershifted, and also shown dotted in still another position.

Fig. 7 is a View similar to that -of Fig. 5 but showing4 the hand leverand its sliding valve block dotted in one position.

Fig. 8 is-an end view of the device-with ,the

valve plate omitted and showing the position of the valve block when thehand lever is pulled back Vinto one of the H slot notches.

Fig. ais a similar view to that of Fig. s but showing the position of.the valve block when the handle is pushed forward to the dotted positionof Fig. 6. A-

Before describing the invention -in detail,` it

better be generally described so thatthe detailed whichv works in an Hslot-just the same as theconventional gear shift lever, to .shift thegears,

the only difference being that the operating lever instead of directlyoperating the gears, operates a sliding valve passage block over theface of a valve plate having a plurality of ports through it, and withany of, which the valve block can be aligned to thereby connect the airpressure (or a suction line) with a pipe extending to any suitable formof pneumatically ,operated gear shift, each valve plate opening with acertain position of the hand lever in the H slot connecting respectivelywith one of several pipes for operating the particular gear which wouldordinarily be operated by the ordinary hand shift lever when in the sameposition in the H slot, and

similarlywhen moved along the horizontal arm v of the H slot beingarranged to insure the gears being out of mesh or in neutral.

Since the present invention is concerned only with the construction ofthe air control valve, and its object is to control compressed air orleading to and from an air-operated gear shift lat a remotepoint, andtheair-operated gear shift itself, may take a variety of forms, no drawingyor detailed "description of the gear shift itself willbe undertaken,though it-Will be helpful .to say that it is preferably one in which thegears are shifted by air or suction-operated pistons,

and that afterv eachmovement ismade to Ishift a gear, before anothergear is thrown into mesh, a neutral pipe lineis positively operated toinsure the gears`being rst thrown to free or neutral` position. InA thepresent description the neutral pipe or port is so designated. Besidesthe above, thefsp'ent air released after each gear is thrown out :ofYmesh is exhausted from the gear shifting f -pl'ston .by wayof theremote control valveftlirougli the'sar'ne line which first sent theimpulse tothe piston.

The 'H slot of -thegear shift valve maybe arranged-for Vthe usual threespeeds forward and one r'reverse, or 4rnayvhave'additional speeds for-Ward or-reversebyrproviding an extra leg or legs totheslotjaandfcorrespondingly morevair valve ports andpfipes':v Th dfourforwardspeed .f-With the above general description of the`vinvention the detailed construction of the air valve will now beundertaken.

Theremote control valve comprises a cylindrical-cup creasinglpermanently closed at the forward endlbya Wall `I and closed at itsrear The valve .plate isfprovided with' Aa plurality r of.-apertures'or'valve ports 5,` 6,-1, 8, 9, I0 which extend oui/ ofsuitable `threaded bosses 5', etc.,

,E evice'ofthe present draw ings -is shown-with lotfoione'revers'e speedand and which are suitably connected to the air pipe lines 5" etc.'I'here is also a general exhaust opening in the valve plate to directexhausting air from any pipe line down under the dash after shifting agear and consequently releasing the air from the previously connectedpipe.

At the lower margin of the device is another port I2 which constitutesthe inlet for the operating air under pressure from any convenient pumpor compressed air tank, not shown, or if vacuum-operated gear shift isused this would go to a source of suction. 'Ihe supply pipe connected tothis port is designated I2', and the port #I2 inthe valve plate alignswith a port I2" formed in the casing and extending to a. central hub I3from where it is led selectively to the various gear shift ports as willbe presently described.

'I'he upper curved wall of the casing is provided with an H slot for thehand lever I4 which is similar to a gear shift lever, but much shorter.The H slot comprises a transverse or neutral portion I5, side notch I6for reverse speed, and four side notches I1, I8, I9 and 20,' for thefour progressively increasing forward drives, though, instead of fourforward speeds, three or any other number may be provided.

The main mechanical function of the devicev is to provide for switchingthe air inlet port |2" selectively to any of the air outlet ports 5, 6,1, 8, 9, when shoving the hand lever into any of the notchesrespectively corresponding thereto, and always into connection withneutral port I when the lever is in transverse slot I5. thus always toinsure the gears being in neutral except when the lever is pushed into anotch.

To accomplish the switching of the air from inlet port I2" as explained,I provide a sliding valve passage block 2| which is connected by a link22 and universal connection 46 to a small crank arm 23 to the hub 24 ofhand lever I4 is screwed, all in such a manner that a port 25 in. aninsert 25 carried by the block, may be slid to position and aligned overany of the plate ports, while at the same time an air-tight connectionof port 25 with inlet port |2" is at all times maintained.

The construction by which the above is accomplished includes a centralhollow stub shaft -21 pressed tightly through a bore in hub I3 andrevolvably supported -on which stub shaft is the hub 28 of a disk 29 andwhich disk is turned at its periphery to t revolvably within aninteriorly nished portion 38 of the casing and preferably provided witha peripheral packing ring 3|. Hub 28 has a radial extension 28' on oneside (see Fig. 3) in which is formed a tortuous air channel 32 whichconnects at its inner end with the bore 33 of the hollow stub shaft 21and which bore has a side port 34 connecting with air inlet passage I2"as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, while the opposite end of channel 32 connectswith a passage or bore 35 formed in a round elongated, hub` 2|' formedintegrally on or pressed tightly into sliding valve block 2| and passage35 connects Within said block to a passage 36 (see Fig. 3) to port 25normally terminating airtight against the nished iiat inner face ofvalve disk 2 unless aligned with one of the valve disk ports.

Insert member 26 is nicely, though slidably, tted in a bore in the sideof block 2| and is, re-

spring 31 acting against a cup leather 38 at the inner end of member 28which also seals the joint at this point.

The joint between members 2 and 28' is sealed by a cup leather 39 andblock 2| is resiliently urged toward the face of the valve disk 2 by asmall compression spring 40 as shown in Fig. 3.

The joint between members 21 and 28 is similarly sealed by a cup leather4| and spring 42.

'Ihe hub 24 of crank arm 23 is preferably hemispherical and seated in asocket 43 formed on member 29 and pivotally held in place by a pin 44extending at right angles to the hand lever I4 (or parallel .to the dashof the automobile) and which pin is supported at its ends in lugs 45extending from the edges of socket 43. The free end of crank arm 23 isformed with a ball portion 46 iitting revolvably and slidably within abore 41 in the outer end of link 22 to form a universal connection, andthe other or inner end of link 22 is bored to revolvably embrace the endof sliding block 2|. By the construction above described it will bemanifest that by moving the hand lever along portion of the so-called Hslot it will revolve member 29 and also carry block 2| and allassociated parts about the axis of stub shaft 21, and while thusrevolving the parts port 25 will always be central and aligned withneutral port ||I in the valve plate 2. Also that when the lever isaligned with any of the slot notches I6, I1, I8, I9 'or 20, it may bepushed or pulled into one in the same way as a common gear shift leverVand upon doing so the crank 23 will raise or lower link 22 and slide thevalve block 2| up or down upon the surface of the valve plate to therebybring the port 25 into alignment with any ofthe other valve plate ports5, 6, 1, 8, or 9, to send compressed air through any desired pipe foractuating the desired gear shift.

f Also to be observed is that when the sliding block is aligned with anyone port the previously connected port is at once opened to space X inthe casing between disk 29 and valve plate 2 and can then freely exhaustout of opening I and not blow up through the lever slot to annoy thedriver.

In order to hold the lever in the various shifted positions with valveplate ports aligned with port 25 of the sliding block suitable springdetents are provided both to hold the disk 29 at proper points in itsrotation and crank 23 at different points in its up and down motion. Thespring detent for the bodily rotary motion of member 29 is indicated at48 at the inner end of member 2| iitting into suitable depressions 49,50, 5|, at

various positions of rotation corresponding to Fig. 4 and wherein thesurface 51 is a boss on member 29 formed with detent depressions 53, 54and 55, the last one being directly under port 25 in this iigure, butmore clearly indicated in Fig. 9 where it is coincident with detent 55which is vcarried in a lug 2|" extending from block 2 I.

It is to be understood that arc 56 indicated in Figs. 4 and 7 representsthe travel of the port 25 of block 2| when detent 48 is engaged indepression 50 and the hand lever is swung forward and backward in thenotches I1 and i8, whereas when the lever is moved along the H slot tothe other notches the detent 48 engages either depression 49 or 5I andthen the port 25 will travel in the other arcs struck from thosedepresisons as shown in Fig. 7 and thus bring port 25 to coincidenceselectively with any of the ports 5, 6, 1, 8, 9, in plate 2, and whenpassing from any one 'to the other, kby necessary intermediate alignmentwith neutral port I0.

Some of the ports in the valve plate are necessarily somewhat too closetogether to permit convenient connection of the pipes on the outer sideof the plate, and therefore three of the ports, namely, 5, 8 and 9, areextended laterally within the plate as shown in dotted lines in Fig. toemerge for the pipe connections respectively at 5', 8' and 9.

From the above description the operation of the device will be seen tobe precisely like an ordinary automobile gear shift lever, and that itwill convey the necessary air impulses, or suction, at the usual pointsof shifting to operate any desired form of air or suction (or otherfluid) operated gear shift, either relatively close or remotelysituated. Also that it provides for any number of speeds, and my use ofthe words H slot herein, or in the claims, is intended to include anynumber of notches in the lever slot and any number of valve portsoperated thereby.

Also my use of the words air, air pressure, or fluid pressure, herein,and/or in the claims, is to be taken as including negative as well aspositive pressure, as well as air, gas, or any iluid or liquid.

I therefore claim:

1. A uid control valve for motor vehicle gear shift comprising a atplate having a plurality of spaced valve ports arranged therein forrespectively connecting to pipe lines for operating the gear shift, amovable valve block slidable on said plate and having an air portarranged for alignment with one at a time only of any of said ports uponsliding of the block, a hand lever, means supporting and guiding saidhand lever for bodily arcuate movement as vweil as forward and backwardmovement in planes transversely of said arcuate movement, and meansforming an operative connection between said lever and said valve blockwhereby the block may be shifted to align its air port with one at atime only of any of said ports selectively as said hand lever is movedto various positions along the paths indicated, the constructionincluding means always insuring the positive intermediate alignment ofthe valve block air port with one in particular only of said valve portsof the plate during its shifting from any of the other ports to another,and means continuously connecting the slidable block with a source ofoperating iiuid.

2.4 A remote control valve for an automotive gear shift comprisingv acasing, a pivotally mounted lever projecting out oi' a conventional Hslot in said casing, a iiat valve plate in said casing having aplurality of fluid ports therein, a passageway for admitting iiuid underpressure to said casing, a movable passage block arranged to slidearound on the surface of said valve plate and provided with a port atone end oi' its passage adapted to be aligned over any of said iiuidports. means providing a constant connection of the opposite end o1'said passage to said passageway yet permitting movement of the block,and means operatively connecting said lever to said block, thearrangement providing for sliding said block on the plate and aligningits port with any of said ports selectively upon operating said lever.

3. A remote control valve for an automotive gear shift comprising avalve plate having a series of spaced ports in its Surf-ace, anoperating iiuid passageway, a jointed member having a passage connectedat one end to said passageway, a movable block having a port extendingtherethrough always connected at one end to said passage and adapted tohave its other end aligned with any ofA said spaced ports in the valveplate when the block is slid to various positions on said plate, andhand-operated means for sliding said block upon said valve plate toselectively align its port with the ports in the valve plate.

4. A remote control valve for an automotive gear shift comprising avalve plate having a series of spaced ports in its surface, an operatingiiuid passageway, a jointed member having a passage connected at one endto said passageway, a movable block having a port extending therethroughalways connected at one end to said passage and adapted to have itsother end aligned with any of said spaced ports in the valve plate whenthe block is slidlto various positions on said plate, and ahand-operated lever guided in a conventional H slot arranged for slidingsaid block upon said valve plate to selectively align its port with theports in the valve plate.

5. A remote control valve of the character described comprising a casinghaving its side wall slotted in general H formation, a hand leverprojectng out of the slot, a member revolvable within said casing and towhich said lever is pivoted whereby it may be moved bodily along thehorizontal run of the H slot and will revolve said member, and wherebywhen said lever is opposite any of the legs of said slot it may berocked into the same, a crank extension on the inner end of -said lever,a valve passage block member pivotally mounted on the revolvable member,a link connecting the valve passage block member with said crank,whereby upon movement of the lever transversely of the slot into thelegs thereof the block will be moved by the crank, a valve plate securedto said casing and having a plurality of ports, and upon which platesaid block slides for aligning the end oi its passage with any of saidports selectively as the lever is rocked and/or revolved, and means formaintaining a connection of the opposite end of said passage with asource of operating fluid.

6. In a remote ,control iluid valve, a valve plate having a plurality ofports therethrough, `a fixed passageway for operating fluid, a blockslidable about said plate and provided with a passage through it withone end terminating at the plate and adapted to be aligned with any ofsaid ports, means maintaining a constant ilexible connection betweensaid fixed-'passageway and the opposite end of said passage, andhand-operated means for sliding said block about the surface of saidplate.

7. In a construction as specified in claim 6, spring detent meansarranged to resiliently hold said block in alignment with any of saidports.

8. In a construction as specified in claim 6, an insert member slidablypositioned insaid block and through which said passage extends and saidmember bearing against said plate, and a spring resiliently urging saidinsert member against sind plate.

PHILIP MACKENZIE.

